If love had a tangible touch, like an object, it would perhaps be incredibly sticky and unpleasant, adhering to your hand everywhere, and no matter how much you washed, it wouldn’t come off easily.

The next morning. Latil, who had barely slept all night, sat on the bed recalling the heated exchange she had with Hyacinth the day before.

It was a nice way to put it, calling it a conversation, but it was essentially a verbal fight. A fight where both only inflicted wounds on each other. Those wounds eventually hollowed out a deep place in Latil’s memory, and even after a day had passed, it was still bleeding.

“Your Majesty, would you like to bathe?”

How long had she been sitting like that?

Normally, Latil, who sticks to a strict schedule, was wasting time aimlessly. Eventually, a worried maid cautiously asked her.

“Yes.”

Latil replied, getting up from the bed and heading into the bathroom.

As she drenched her face and hair with cold water, her mind cleared up considerably. However, there was also the side effect of her anger rising again with a clear mind.

Still, she immersed herself in work all day, having meetings with her ministers, repeatedly pestering Duke Atraxil about the ‘foreign power that had joined forces with Tila’ and whether the investigation was still ongoing. The time flew by.

She didn’t mean to say she didn’t think about Hyacinth in between, but it was better than in the morning.

Latil had dinner so bland it could kill anyone’s appetite while she thought. After living like this for a few days, she would be able to return to her life before Hyacinth’s sudden reappearance.

‘Was I too hasty?’

However, was it because she had been thinking heavy thoughts while eating? As soon as Latil put down her fork, she grimaced as she felt a tightness in her chest and her stomach started to churn.

“Are you all right?”

To Sonnaught’s worried question, Latil waved her hand that she was okay and got up from her chair.

“I am fine. But I think I should take a walk to aid digestion.”

“I will accompany you.”

Latil responded as such and walked out of the palace aimlessly down the promenade.

Each time her shoes collided with the white stones laid on the promenade, the sound was as urgent as Latil’s heart.

How long had she been walking? Latil came to a halt upon discovering the grass that had turned reddish under the glow of the setting sun.

‘This grass…’

Latil stared blankly at the grass, then bent down. When she brushed the grass with her hand, the scent came up with the wind. Unconsciously, Latil almost tore off a blade of grass.

“Your Majesty?”

Sonnaught, who had been watching from behind, was puzzled when Latil suddenly clenched and unclenched her fist at the air. He called out to her.

“Why did you do that?”

“This grass.”

“Yes.”

“It’s the same grass Hyacinth made into a ring for me.”

“!”

At the mention of Hyacinth’s name, Sonnaught’s expression hardened immediately. But because Sonnaught was standing behind her, Latil did not see this change.

Latil extended her hand to compare it to the grass. As she spread out her fingers, the blade of grass draped over Latil’s finger like a poorly made ring.

Looking at this, Latil became anxious.

‘Could it be that I really can’t forget Hyacinth? Is that why I’m keeping the consorts at a distance?’

In order not to give power to one side of the harem, to turn the eyes of the ministers toward the harem and stabilize the imperial power, she had been deliberately not sleeping with the consorts.

Could it be that behind all this, there are feelings towards Hyacinth that even I myself didn’t know about?

This thought, though unfounded, was terrifyingly scary. So, Latil shook her head and quickly pulled her hand away from the blade of grass.

Her pride was hurt. She knew that it was absolutely not because she couldn’t forget Hyacinth that she was not sleeping with the consorts. Even knowing that, once she started feeling anxious, it was hard to calm down.

Angry, Latil abruptly got up and walked straight toward the harem. If there was no Hyacinth, it didn’t matter who it was, she would just take one consort.

After all, the consorts in the harem were all her men, and at some point, she would have to take them in.

It wouldn’t hurt to expedite that moment, if only for once. If Hyacinth hears about her sleeping with someone and his pride gets hurt…

“Your Majesty, you’re here.”

The place where Latil stopped was in front of Ranamun’s room. Seeing Latil, Ranamun’s guard raised his voice in surprise.

“Tell Ranamun that I’m coming in.”

As Latil commanded, the guard quickly opened the door and entered, informing Ranamun’s servant, who was staying in the middle room.

“Hey, Her Majesty is here. Get up quickly.”

Startled from his sleep, Cardoon raised his upper body.

“Who’s here?”

“Her Majesty.”

As the guard hurriedly alerted him, glancing towards the outside door, Cardoon quickly tried to get up, but stumbled into the bed with his knees.

“Oh, dear!”

“Why are you sleeping so early today?”